Paintbrush made to facilitate cleaning

ABSTRACT

A paintbrush that constructed to be cleaned by conveying a cleaning solution into the handle of the paintbrush. Cleaning solution passes into the through the hollow handle, and through holes made in the heel of the paintbrush (the end of the handle to which bristles are attached.) Cleaning solution then disperses into the bristles and washes paint from the bristles. In particular, paint is cleaned from the heel of the brush, which is particularly hard to clean.

FIELD

This invention relates to paintbrushes. More particularly, this invention is a paintbrush with a handle made and configured to receive water, solvent or the like for cleaning.

BACKGROUND

Paintbrushes are exceedingly useful and efficient tools for applying paint to various surface areas. Unfortunately, it is rather difficult to clean the paint from the brush after it has been used. The most difficult area to clean is at the heel of the brush where the bristles are compressed together.

There are a number of ways to clean paint soaked brushes, although neither is particularly efficient. One method is to place the paintbrush in water and repeatedly squeeze the brush by hand to mechanically remove most of the paint from the bristles. A final rinse under running water is performed in an effort to remove the remaining paint residue. Soaking is a solvent solution of water can first be optionally applied. A useful container for such soaking is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,188.

More sophisticated methods and devices for paint removal have been proposed in the prior art as follows. The U.S. Pat. No. 1,542,025 discloses a hand-operated paintbrush cleaner employing a pair of opposed bristle brushes in a pool of cleaning solution. The cleaning brushes do not engage the paintbrush heel; that is, where the bristles meet the handle and where much unwanted paint tends to accumulate. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,737,945 discloses a device designed to dry hardened paint to powder through the use of heating elements, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,505 discloses a device that combs out softened paint lumps with a rotary pin comb. Other patents utilize the cleaning of such objects as golf club heads, hair combs, eyeglasses and hair brushes (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,872,534, 2,082,991, 3,464,080 and 3,590,413, respectively). None of such devices provide means useful in removing paint from paintbrush heels.

The U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,364 describes a complicated brush cleaning apparatus for spraying a hot soap solution of hot water onto the bristles of the brush while agitating it mechanically. Besides the complexity of this apparatus, its practical utility is limited due to the fact that water sprays are usually ineffective in cleaning the heel of the brush as they are not capable of penetrating inside the closely held bristles of the brush. A similar approach is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,797.

The U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,424 shows a paintbrush cleaning funnel containing a liquid inlet portion and a flared out hollow funnel portion for placing of the paintbrush therein. The liquid end portion is connected to a source of pressurized water or another cleaning solution while the brush is placed in the funnel. The limitation of this invention is in the fact that it may force brush bristles to get even more closely together thus preventing the cleaning solution from reaching the heel of the brush.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,240 describes a device equipped with a plurality of tubular nozzles with closed ends and side holes located at the distal portions thereof. The nozzles are adapted to be placed inside the bristles at the level of the heel of the brush. A manual pump is provided to supply a cleaning solution to the area of the heel to wash the paint out. This patent is incorporated herewith in its entirety as the closest prior art to the present invention. The limitation of the invention described in this patent is in an uncontrolled discharge of cleaning solution while cleaning the brush. Besides, the shape of the nozzles precludes active separation of the bristles and may lead up to uneven cleaning if some bristles clump together and are pushed to the side by the disclosed apparatus.

In a related area of prior art, several methods have been devised to remove paint from paint rollers using the flow of water from a pressurized source. One method is to remove the paint soaked roller from its handle and install this roller on a hand held mechanical device. The roller is then submerged under water, and the mechanical device is pumped continually by hand to impart a slow rotary motion to the roller. The rotary motion and turbulence of the water removes most of the paint. A final rinse under running water is performed in an effort to remove the remaining paint residue. Another method include placing of a roller into a holder and pumping water through the center of the roller to rinse out the residual paint. Examples of such general approach can be found in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,178 and 4,641,673. Both methods are time consuming and require the continual presence and physical effort of the person performing the cleaning operation. Also, both methods require direct handling of the roller, which is saturated with wet paint, resulting in a very messy task.

With any disclosed method of the prior art, unless the cleaning process is continued for an inordinate length of time, there will almost always be a residue of paint left within the brush or a roller. Although this will not represent a problem if the same shade of paint is used again with the same brush, this residual paint of one hue will often prevent the use of the semi-cleaned roller with paints of different hues. For these reasons, it is often the case that a paint brush will be thrown away after a single use rather than cleaned, a wasteful practice which further highlights a need for an effective paint brush cleaning apparatus.

Therefore, there remains a need for a paintbrush from which paint can easily and rapidly be removed from the bristles, along the entire length of the bristles, including the heel portion of the brush. This paintbrush should be simple, durable and efficient and be capable of being manufactured in a variety of forms to suit individual needs including home use.

SUMMARY

For the purposed of this disclosure, the term “cleaning solution” means water, solvent, alcohol, acetone, liquefied soap or any other appropriate cleaning agent depending on the nature of the paint or varnish to be removed from the brush.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing a novel paintbrush made or configured to receive a cleaning solution that is conveyed within and through the paintbrush handle, the cleaning solution conveyed into the heal of the paintbrush bristles and dispersed into the bristles to removed paint adhered within.

The invention comprises a paintbrush having a handle equipped with at least one connector providing a means for attaching a hose connected to a source of cleaning solution. In the most basic form, the handle of the paintbrush has a threaded connection for attachment to a source of cleaning solution under pressure. The handle is hollow and conveys cleaning solution to the heal of the brush, which is made with a plurality of orifices, through which cleaning solution passes into and disperses into the bristles of the paintbrush.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a paintbrush that is adapted to connect to a common garden hose and thereby to receive water for cleaning.

Further, the invention may be adapted to connect to a hose carrying or conveying any other kind of cleaning solution for cleaning paint adhering to the bristles.

Other benefits and advantages of the invention will appear from the disclosure to follow. In the disclosure reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which is shown by way of illustration an exemplary embodiment in which the invention may be practiced. This embodiment will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made in details of the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention and the various advantages thereof can be realized by reference to the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a general view of the present invention, a paintbrush;

FIG. 2 is a general view of the present invention showing the hollow handle made to receive and convey cleaning solution; and

FIG. 3 shows the heel of the paintbrush having orifices to convey cleaning solution to the bristles of the paintbrush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An Exemplary Embodiment

With reference to FIG. 1, a paintbrush 1000, having bristles 1100, the bristles 1100 attached to the paintbrush heel 1200, the heel 1200 having holes or orifices (not shown in FIG. 1), which are in fluid communication with the inside of the brushes handle 1300, which is hollow. The handle 1300 has at the end 1310 opposite the heel 1200, a cap 1320, which may be removed. When the cap 1320 is removed, a hose may be connected. The hose (not shown) conveys cleaning material, which passes through the hollow handle 1300, into the heel 1200, and out through the orifices (not shown) in the heel 1200 and into the bristles 1100.

With reference to FIG. 2, the brush 2000 is shown with the cap 2320 removed from the handle 2300 end 2310. It can be seen from FIG. 2 the handle 2300 is made with threads for attaching a hose connected to a source of cleaning solution. The handle is seen to be hollow and adapted to convey cleaning solution to the heal 2200 of the brush 2000, which is made with a plurality of orifices, through which cleaning solution passes into and disperses into the bristles 2100 of the paintbrush 2000.

With reference to FIG. 3, the orifices 3110 are made to be in communication with the inside of the hollow heel 3200. The inside of the hollow heel 3200 is made to be in communication with the inside of the hollow handle 3300.

DISCLOSURE SUMMARY

While not shown on the drawings, a number of additional embodiments are also contemplated. In an additional embodiment, the handle is made with a connector, to which a pump may be connected by a hose conveying a cleaning solution.

Although the invention herein has been described with respect to a particular embodiment, it is understood that this embodiment is merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiment and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

1. A paintbrush, having a plurality of bristles and a body, the body comprising a hollow handle and a heel into which one end of each bristle embedded, the heel having a plurality of holes in fluid communication with the interior of the handle, the handle configured to receive a conveyance conveying cleaning solution, whereby cleaning solution is conveyed through the handle undiverted into the heel, out of the plurality of holes and onto the bristles, whereby the bristles are cleaned of paint.
 2. The paintbrush of claim 1, wherein the conveyance is a hose conveying a hydrocarbon.
 3. The paintbrush of claim 1, wherein the conveyance is a hose conveying water.
 4. A paintbrush having a hollow body comprising a handle, the body having a plurality of bristles embedded in the body, the body having a plurality of holes in fluid communications with the interior of the body, wherein each of some of the holes receive a bristle that is embedded therein, the handle adapted to receive a hose conveying a cleaning solution, whereby cleaning solution is transported undiverted through the hollow body, out of some of the holes and onto the bristles. 